Kari Black

I've been very fortunate to have incredible mentors throughout my journey, particularly Shawn Golden, who taught me one of the most valuable lessons of my career. He showed me that just because you don't have a master's degree doesn't mean you can't use the knowledge you've gained. If you've studied it and learned it, you should use it and teach others about it. He helped me understand that a diploma or associate's degree is just a piece of paper - what truly matters is the knowledge you obtain and how you apply it in whatever business you're working in. That mentorship gave me the confidence to grow and succeed despite not having formal college credentials, and it shaped how I approach my work and help others today.

The best career advice I ever received came from my mentor Shawn Golden, who told me that just because you don't have a degree doesn't mean you can't use your knowledge. He taught me that if you've studied something and learned it, you should use it, utilize it, and teach others about it. He helped me realize that a diploma or associate's degree is just a piece of paper - what really matters is the knowledge you obtain and how you apply it in whatever business you're working in. This advice completely changed my perspective and gave me the confidence to pursue growth in my career despite not having formal college credentials.

The most important advice I can give, especially if you're between 18 and 25 and first going into the industry, is to watch your ego. You can learn something really fast, but if you get too prideful, it comes off very negative, and that's when it becomes hardest to move up in the industry, grow, and advance into management or corporate roles. If you're too eager and act like you know everything, they're going to think you're not willing to learn, that you're set in your ways and not open to growth. Moving forward, you need to be open-minded and willing to always accept help and accept positive or negative criticism, because even if it's negative, it's not necessarily negative to you, but it could hurt you later on. Have an open heart. Treat everybody the way you want to be treated. If you're wanting respect, you have to give it first. You can have someone who's been doing it for 5 years and knows every little piece of the system, and then you've got a newbie that thinks they know more because they studied it. It's all about how you approach it - if someone has a negative vibe, don't be rude, just avoid them, be cordial, be kind, and keep a positive vibe no matter what.